New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-07
AN INMAN STEAMER ASHORE.
THE CITY OF cHIcAGVs NARROW ESCAPE.

LIE ClIi Of CHlCAGOS NARROW ESCAPE.
STRANDED ON THE LONG ISLAND COAsT-SHE GETS
OFF UNINJURED-sOME CARGO SACRIFICED.
The Inman steamship City Of Chicago bound for
fhis port, agtound yesterda, morning about $50
O'Clock the outcr bar, opposite West Hampton L. L
BY throwing portion Of her cargo she was re.
leased about nine hours atterward The vessel sus-
tanned no damage, nor did any panic prevail among
the passengers. She proceeded on her way without
assistance, after sending her mail ashore the
wrecking steamer l. J. Merritt, which had gone to
help her. dro ped anchor for the night outside the bar
near the French steamship Gascoene. Both vesse.s
will in all probability, the bar at high tide this
morning. and reach their piers st an early hour.
The City OF Chicago has 515 passengers on board,
including forty cabin passengers OF whom fifteen
her. He has been In the employ OF the InmaD Line
tor almost thirty years. and never got bis ship
into trouble. The steamer lett Liverpool on Tuesday
February 22 and touched at Queenstown the follow
ing evening, where 4So bags OF mail matter were
taken aboard. 1t was rough and ~intry voyage
throughout, but the weather kent clear and IN.
usual incident occurred to bieak tbs monotony Of the
voyage excepting that good deal of singing ami in
strumental music was INDUCED IN by musical coterie
After leaving the Banks OF Newfoundland tho
weather began to get hazy, and by Saturday morning
the haze had to 5
miles out The pilot, however, had not been put In
charge when the ship struck. Saturday night closed
down with sn0wstOrm. which became binding be-
fore morning. The vessei struck head Oh on tho
sandy beach between 2 and o'clock vest rday morn
ing In the pitch-dark and with comparatively high
sea running. From what could be gathered from tho
officers last night the last which coad be
procured made on Thursday; the vessel was rum
ming at her usual rate Of speed when she struck. and
no sOundings had been made the captain believing
himself to be still in deeD water
The passengers all in their berths at the time
a1e Of nUt Sy IL
up, however, but we're speedily reassured by tue
officers, and there was no panic Many OF the ladies
remained in bed till breakfast time, and none Of them
came ashore when the wrecking steamer reached
them
As the tide was about full when the accident
Cured Captain Watkins realized the situation at once.
Instantly the screw was reversed and never ceased
churnng away at full steam till che vessel drew on
The cargo was full one. and consisted OF general
road iron, TN and salt With as little delay as posi-
ble sll available hands were set TO work throwing
bags OF salt tAst the dOnkey-engines could
hoist them from the hold. Some tin was also thrown
over but how could not be asCertaned from the
officers last night: A large quantity however must
have been sacrificed, ior the tide had fallen good
deal during the nine hours that elapsed before the
yessei worked loose .
While this going on. signals OF distress in tho
shape OF rockets and calcium lights had been exh6-
ited and were answered by Captain Franklin Z.
Jessop, the Petunck Lite-Saving station. Efforts
we're made to get the eoost ou, M 70 t tne nr
lteines then fred from the mortar, one OF which
fell the but parted before 1t could be
together on the beach by the OF the disaster and
they cheered Justify as they saw the vessel steam on
uninlured.
As soon as the news received at the Office OF the
agent. in this city, Peter Wright Sons. NO. Broad.
way, James li.sWright, of that firm, commun Gated
with the manager OF the Merritt Wrecking Company
at No. 40 Wa-st., aud the wrecking steamer l. y.
Merritt Immediately dispatched 10 the assistance
OF the stranded steamer. At a little before O'Clock
she started down the By fully e}%ppea au1 lOI ING
O'Clock Tying five miles outside the bar. The mail
bags vere transferred and in charge OF them came
Purser John t. Kavanash aud Third ohcer Damn.
To a TRIBUNE reporter VI ho boarded the wrecker at
Quarantine Purser kavanagh said:
asleep when struck aud dressed at once The
played the day xas lay ssruad as 2, any
%s aSInF nos s SOyas S e msaSs s At all All
passengers In good health and spirits
Third Officer Dana said:
ras s he blot wa not charge do not care to say
how We ran ASHORE nor whether scaadng Oeing
or not don't want 20 prSaos& & no se Sa,o OF in 2ss Ss
matter There no reason. however. why they
Uuos still ia deep water We were draw.
twentyhree feet at the ne anu IN tue heavy
we had run on the bar IL was douot matter o cur
rents which set in there at this time OF the year Win
fortunately. and the loss Of cargo Is mere nothing W
what the loss might have been 49, -.
T. /. Brewster superintendent OF the inman llne VINO
went down the wreeker with heavy heart returned
In q different mood. lie SAID;
We are luck 10 nave eseaped so well an ,rc,
almost thirty years anu never hsd an ACCT
dent before feel he Is not 10 blame The arc
ons e 'SatV Sut we DON'T teei Ike
Among the passengers are Captain H. Ia Ahiersen'
A 4. Bcknore. T.. Curtis, Walter taraday, Jonn Ed-
gar Hopgood H. C. Jarrett, j. NJ McPherson and kooers
Thorpe. o ,u =, - 81.
Ihe City OF Chicago built by G. Connell q co on
the Clyde in 1888 and o 5,2O2 gross aud 33s3 nes
tonnage She is OF iron with four masts Her iengtn
over ali 1870 feet breadth Of beam 10 feet and Lowest
depth of hold 33 feet. she Is regarded as stahcn
vessel and has powerful engines but is not specially last
Tle vessel Water-tlSnt ouo
accommodations for $50 cabin passengers and iooo
In the seerage. IT., A.. A..
going ashore OF the Guion steamship WISCONSIN, on ho
morning OF February H. fifteen niles east Oh gre @
vessel struck aud before the wreckng vessels reached
her she backed on with the power OF her own engineS
and came 10 the city, receiving damage tnan tue
loss rudder and rudderpost The court OF hqury
which the matter afterwart FOUND that the
accident was due unusually strong northeriy cur
rent setting at the time, which carried the steamer
twenty five miles north of the compass course